March 5, 2019 - 1:25pm
100% whole-wheat sourdough
Very pleased with this crumb.
A no fuss recipe:
- 400g whole wheat flour
- 320g water
- 8g salt
- 40g starter (left over starter from my detmolder rye bake)
- Mix and leave for overnight. Get two folds in before bed within 1.5 hours.
- Next morning when more than doubled give it one more stretch and fold as a pre-shape and to build strength. Rest for 20 - 30 minutes then shape.
- Final proof in the fridge for 8+ hours.
- Bake.
As an offspring from the detmolder levain which had been in the fridge for a day and the long ferment the flavour is very good indeed! The crumb was a nice surprise.
[baked in a silicone pouch - for a no fuss bake - however the dough was small enough that it wasn't restricted by too much support and got an oven spring more similar to a freestanding loaf]
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and amazing for 100% whole wheat. Nice work.
hester
It has been a successful week. Hopefully a good sign for our project this weekend. I'm sure my starter has a new oomph now that I added back some of the detmolder levain build.
Rolling out lovely breads! Amazing crumb.
I've worked harder at getting a good crumb and failed. This bake was so relaxed and the crumb came to me.
Do you remember? Got a nice slow one to ten ratio rise (starter to flour).
But... checking the temps for London it was a low of 4°C and a high of 9/10°C overnight. So i'm guessing that room temp would have been around 18°C. Does that make sense?
Abe.. you make it look easy! :)
This was supposed to be a very relaxed bread. My aim was to try the starter in a wheat bread and see what flavours come out. Very happy. Just had some toasted and it's delicious.
Super nice, Abe!
That’s interesting. A stretch & fold AFTER an overnight BF. that is definitely worth a try...
Well the dough had risen very well. Perhaps what you might call a bit too much for a whole wheat bread. But it still had an excellent gluten structure so the stretch and fold was pretty much a pre-shape and not made into a round. More like gentle de-gassing and giving it more structure after the bulk ferment. Then shaped it etc...
I very much agree with Alan. It's whatever works!
Nice bake Abe. 100% whole wheat is hard to handle.
Dan, how about a community bake on 100% whole wheat sourdough?
I second this motion. Particularly as I'm leaning towards more wholegrain nowadays.
I'd love to join a 100% ww bake.
And such a lovely loaf, at that! Looks beautiful and oh-so-tempting!
And you're baking again at the weekend?
Keep on baking,
Carole
Thank you Carole. Just had some toasted. Very nice.
Yes... Hester and I are baking either a German or Danish Rye. We have two recipes in mind. Want to join us?
but still can't get my hands on whole rye (T170 here). Best I can do is dark rye (T150) and I don't think it's coarse enough.
Also, if there are cracked rye or rye chops involved, all I can get are whole rye berries in 550g bags ?
So I'm planning another soaker experiment and working on cold retard, shaping and scoring. Boring, I know, but will sit tight until I can get the right stuff from Denmark in May.
Even more so, considering that it is a 100% whole wheat bread. Nice work, Abe.
Paul
TBH I wasn't expecting this crumb. The aim of the game was simply to try a detmolder starter in a wheat bread. The rest of the method was done for a completely no fuss bread. Looks like a good crumb needs less fuss.
I think your silicone pouch is such a good tool for 100% wholewheat, just a little support but ability to expand all over.
Two questions: Was your first overnight at room temp (guessing that's somewhere between 18 and 20 for you?) and what flour did you use; how coarse was it?
Lunchtimes looking tasty this week for you!
Yes, as long as the dough isn't too much. I've worked out that 400g of flour is a nice amount for a good sized dough that has room to expand and the silicone pouch becomes more of a convenient piece of equipment rather then a loaf pan.
Since overnight was a low of 4°C and a high of 9/10°C then i'm guessing the room temp was around about 18°C but that's a total guess. Your estimate sounds right!
It was Sainsbury's 100% wholemeal flour. If I remember correctly it has nothing added and noting taken away. Just 100% stoneground wheat and it comes in at about 15% protein.
Just had some toasted for breakfast. Yum!
than I'm working with and part of me is jealous ;-) But then your expertise is most probably the thing that shines out here, not the flour.
Once I've got my event with the three loaves out of the way, I'll come back to this formula and give it a go with my Gilchester's flour. I might add some whey in substitute for some of the water too. Thanks for putting it up here, I've bookmarked!
crumb Abe and must taste amazing...100% WW is not an area I have dared to venture in yet! Amazing... Kat
I've decided to concentrate on mainly wholegrain sourdough from now on. A few bread flour loaves or a mix will make it into the bake run but wholegrains will be my bread of choice. I recommend you try it.
I have baked a few 100% whole wheat loaves but never achieved a rise and a crumb like yours and you have encouraged me to try again.
You have already answered what would have been my first question about temperature so maybe I could ask what was the total time of your overnight bulk ferment?
Thanks. Alan
"Believe you me" this was a first for me too.
This was a very off the cuff, follow my nose type of recipe. Put it together at the last second, hoped for the best and carried on at the first opportunity in the morning. So I think, if I remember correctly, the bulk ferment went for about 8-9 hours. I think it went on for too long (i.e. many would have shaped and final proofed when it was 50% risen) this loaf was more than doubled but gained back it's elasticity with the stretch and folds in the morning.
If you wish to follow my procedure (if it can be called that) then I suggest a cool overnight ferment and start at a time when you can keep an eye on it 7-8 hours after mixing.
light and airy as a white sandwich one but so much tastier! We love the no fuss ...with Lucy being as lazy as possible too, Well done and happy baking in the Damp and Dreary Abe!
ThIs came as a total surprise to me. Perhaps an often left out ingredient to an open crumb is not to work too hard to get it.
What an inspiration, Abe! My aim is a 100% loaf but I am still learning and acHieving less than perfect results. Your post provides encouragement to keep on trying. These loaves have incomparable flavour, in addition to.the health benefits - even my imperfect ones! Your example is also very impressive in terms of appearance. Valerie
Glad to be an inspiration. Taken me a long time to get this crumb with 100% whole wheat. Remember it doesn't have to be perfect to still be tasty. Keep at it.
Having read with great interest your post on your version of Yohan Ferrant's Do Nothing Bread, I wonder, Abe, if you can recall if it was more or less flavoursome than the 100% wholewheat you have just posted? Do you think such a low innoculation dough could be made with 100% wholewheat? If I am asking for an impossible feat of memory and taste recall, then please ignore my query. ( It stems from a desire to maximise taste and to find a schedule that best fits into my busy life.) Many thanks. Valeriec
I've had more success with Teresa Greenway's SF Sourdough, which is based on the same recipe, than Yohan Ferrant's Do Nothing Bread.
This bread is delicious but I used a starter that was designed for the detmolder rye.
So one uses a non descript starter and it's all in the long ferment at a certain temperature to bring out a very lactic acid flavour and the other was with a starter that had been cultivated to maximize the lactic, acetic and yeast.
They are both delicious but too different.
Hope this helps Valerie.
Thank you, Abe, for your prompt response. Just when I felt I was developing a reasonably comprehensive understanding of methods and their ultimate goal, along come the experts who show me how much I have still to learn! I am grateful for the guidance, Abe, and for your generous assistance in helping me to become a reasonably competent baker. Your comments about these two loaves were an eye opener. Thanks again. Valerie
Wholemeal does taste so much better, especially toasted !
I want to try 100% wholemeal spelt so may give your approach a whirl - although tonights attempt at something new didnt go so well, so might wait a while !
Congrats on a great loaf !
Agreed! Wholegrain is much tastier. Sourdough toast is the best.
Spelt will behave differently so watch that hydration and ferment time.
lined up !
Any thoughts on how much water to drop out Abe?
Previously I've just taken out 50ml's and hoped for the best - as you can tell, I am not experienced....
You can always add more water but can't take any out.
Start at 65% hydration and slowly add in more, if it needs it, till it feels right.
Aim for tacky. Not sticky.
Thank you Abe - i had one more look at that pic of your loaf and its definitely eggs on wholemeal toast for tea :)
David
Thank you David